Husband Prayer Challenge

Today's prayer is for our waiting.  It's hard for me to think of something more productive in our Christian walk than waiting.  The emotions that come with a season of waiting can be excruciating, but the season also has the potential to produce a depth in us that not many other things can. Whether you're praying for a diagnosis, a baby, a job, a new home, a breakthrough, an emotional healing, or something else that is weighing heavy, today I encourage you to surrender your waiting.  Open your hands and trust the Father SEES you and is a good father with good plans for your life. Praying with you, Ashley

"Catch the foxes for us, the littel foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vinyards are in blossom". Song of Solomon 2:15 You are not alone. A long list of women have prayed for connection this season, to be more emotionally and physically connected to their husband.  The list is long of "foxes" that can get into our marriage and cause division, apathy, and disconnect. Truthfully, some of the things that are dividing us aren't inherently BAD things, but just like our relationship with Christ, we can allow anything to become an ideal and affect our genuine connection.  Today, we're praying for our connection (emotionally, spiritually, and physically) within our marriage. Praying with you, Ashley.

Joel 2:25, "I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten".  Scripture is full of redemption stories, and if we throw ourselves into His word we will be encouraged by the truth, hope, and power of His ability to redeem and restore broken relationships, terrifying diagnoses, shattered dreams, or a lost sense of purpose after life derails you. Today, we're praying for our restoration within our marriages which may look different for each marriage praying. Praying with you for the redeeming love of Jesus to rest over your marriage today and in the days and weeks to come.

"For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh." Genesis 2:24. I think of my wedding ceremony nearly 16 years ago, we poured two different colors of sand into a single container signifiying our unity because it would be humanly impossible to separate all the individual pieces of sand back to their original color containers.  God has designed it that we leave our family that raised us and cleave, to adhere firmly and closely or loyally and unwaveringly, to our spouse and be united in marriage. Today we're praying for our unity that it would be established on the foundation of Jesus Christ and it would draw us closer not only to each other, but ultimately to Christ. That in our unity, we would have a unified spirit and mind, becoming one in how we interact, make decisions, communicate, and live. Praying with you, Ashley

Another area we have to surrender to God because we cannot do this for our husbands.  We can encourage and support but this is a choice he has to make. Today we're praying for your husband's relationship with the Lord, that he would pursue it above all else.  I'm praying for you as a wife, because I know so many of you long to see a husband actively pursuing the Lord.  Today, for you and for me, I'm praying that this time next year, our husbands, ourselves, and our marriages will be unrecognizable because of our individual and joint pursuit of Christ.  Praying with you, Ashley

When we get married and enter into each other's families, but also have to learn to leave our families and cleave to one another. Whew, what a wild ride. Today, we're praying for your husband's family and all that brings with it to a marriage. We're also praying for him to be the leader within your own nuclear family and we're praying for the mission field that IS your family, whether you're raising disciples together, praying for salvation for family members, or seeking the Lord in the midst of a difficult family situation. Praying with you! 

Our time and what we give our attention to can quickly spiral out of control. Our hearts and minds are so quickly distracted towards what we think we want. Staying focused with our time and attention proves, in countless marriages, to be a sore subject. Today we're praying for your husband's priorities and his attention to be focused on Christ first, trusting in God for the wisdom for what's next. 

Our lives tell a living story of God working out good plans.  We have a Heavenly Father that uses our story to bring Him glory, what a gift we get to live this life.  Our stories can also be used to encourage other people in their faith. Today, we're praying for our husband's testimony. 

1 Corinthians 12:14, "For the body does not consist of one member but of many". Today's Christian church can be an amazing sight to behold.  However, it can often be full of flaws and sadly turn people away from Jesus. Today, we're praying for your husband's role within the church. Whether he is visibly in service, is serving behind the scenes, or taking a sabbatical we're praying for his heart to desire to serve God, not man.  We're praying for boldness, confidence, humility, and obedience to use the gifts and talents God has placed within him for God's glory. Praying with you, Ashley

Today we're praying for your husband's purity, namely as it relates to sexual sin. When something is purified, it's often put in the fire, the temperature raised to very high heat in order for the worthless impurities to rise to the top - called the dross - to then be scraped away by the craftsman. Today we're praying for your husband's purity and your strength to stand by him in the fire, the sancitifying work of the spirit. May we be sisters in Christ who see the soul of our brother in Christ, and beg our Heavenly Father for the grace, forgiveness, patience, love, and understanding to love our husbands through. Praying with you, Ashley. 

I read something recently that struck me and it was along these lines, deep raw connection with God will always cost us something. If we want to treat prayer with God as a lifeline instead of a call to a cosmic genie, we will have to lay some things down to enter into prayer with Him. Today, we're praying for your husband's prayer life and his opportunity to connect with and grow in depth of his prayer life with our Heavenly Father.  May it be the thing that starts and ends his day, his need he runs to when life feels to heavy or chaotic.  Praying with you, Ashley

You may be praying this challenge because your husband has not yet surrendered to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. WE are all praying with you for the Holy Spirit to bring him to his knees in surrender today!  We're also praying for the husband who is holding on to sin, addiction, worry, fear, control, jealousy, unforgiveness, or anything else that would keep him from the full life available to him in Christ. Today, we're praying for your husband's surrender. Praying with you, Ashley 

Pain has a multifaceted way of working itself out in our lives.  While it may lay dormant for years, it can also come to the surface with the most benign of experiences and flood our hearts and minds completely. Past pain has a way, especially for men, of growing deep roots that hide in dark and undiscoverable places. Today we're praying for your husband's past hurts. We're praying for complete surrender of this pain to the Lord and for any vices, addictions, or sinful actions that are attached to the pain to be destroyed in Jesus' name. Join me in praying for your husband's past hurts.  Praying with you, Ashley

We would be lying if we said we didn't want to feel extravagenly loved within our marriages.  Today we're praying for your husband's love for his wife, you. We're praying that this love would be an overflow from the love he has in his heart and relationship with Christ. Through various seasons of your marriage, how you express and receive love may change, but we pray for a sacrificial and God honoring love to grow in your marriage.  Praying with you, Ashley

There's no doubt that financial stress and strain is one of the top reasons people choose to end their marriages. Wrapped up in money can be deception, insecurity, hurtful communication, and sinful addictions. The love of money can lead to negative patterns, evil choices, and a destructive wake which can affect generations. Conversations about income, tithe, giving, spending patterns, etc. are HARD conversations to have. Today we're praying for your husband's heart behind and handling of money.  Whether he had a good example or not, we're praying for your husband to lead in this way by being a good steward of what the Lord has provided.  Praying with you today, Ashley 

"The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit." – Proverbs 18:21 "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." – Ephesians 4:29 One area I believe Christ following people seem to neglect is what comes out of our mouths.  Maybe we fear being a prude or seeming too religous, but what happens instead is we sound all too much like the world. The reality is what comes out of our moths is a direct reflection of what our hearts are choosing to worship. Today, we're praying for your husband's speech - that it would lift others up and bring life.  Praying with you, Ashley.

Matthew 7:16 says "YOu will recognize them by their fruits.  Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?". What comes out of our mouths, mind, and life is a direct reflection of our heart and who we're choosing to worship. I will be the first person to warn against works based religious Christianity, but the Bible is pretty clear that our lives will tell the story. Today, we're praying for the fruit in your husband's life. May he be aware of what is life giving and that which is dead and needs to be cut off.  Praying with you, Ashley

Sometimes, I think we forget the power available to us as followers of Christ with whom the Holy Spirit dwells. Today, we're praying for your husband's armor - that he would remember to put it on and walk in confidence of the protection and power of God. Ephesians 6:10-20 reminds us to put on the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, shoes as readiness by the gospel of peace, the shielf of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, WHY.. to be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.  Praying with you, Ashley

"It is inconsistent to not spend time with God and yet expect to spend eternity with Him". Author unknown, but I don't think I will ever be the same after reading that.  Today, we're praying for our husband and his time with the Lord. I pray that in a month, 6 months, and even a year from now, our husbands will be a different man due to the time he spends with God. Consider how the Lord is asking YOU to respond in light of today's prayer.  Praying with you, Ashley

With nearly 25% of our country experiencing a mental health diagnosis, it's possible that within your marriage, mental health complications are affecting the way you do life, communicate, resolve conflict, parent, etc.  Today we're praying that any resolvable concerns would be addressed and quality of life improved for the glory of Jesus Christ. Today we're praying for your husband's mental health.  If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, please call or text 988.  The hours are available 24/7 and the cost is always free! Or text HOME to 741741 to reach a trained Crisis Counselor through Crisis Text Line, free 24/7 confidential.  Praying with you, Ashley

Today we're praying for our husband to be so in tune with the Holy Spirit so that he acts in obedience swiftly to what the Lord is asking of him. May we both take seriously this call God has placed on our life and consider how we have been living slothful in zeal when it comes to our obedience to the Lord.  We pray for opportunity today to meet with the Lord and hear what he has for each of us, and may we as wives, when it comes to obedience remember to address the log in our own eye before we point out the stick in our brother's. Praying with you, Ashley.

When I was in college, within our student ministry, people would share their "180 Story". They would explain what their life was like before repenting of their sins and accepting Jesus Christ into their heart and life.  Whether your husband has yet to repent of his sins and accept Christ or needs to repent of an ongoing sin and choose to walk in obedience and righteousness, today we're praying for your husband's repentance. True repentance is such a beautiful experience to watch unfold. Today, I'm praying for our husbands to experience awareness of sin and the Godly grief of what our sins did to Christ that leads him to get on his knees and repent.  Praying with you, Ashley

Today we're praying for your husband's sin. Whether it's once or something your husband struggles with ongoing, sin can leave a wake of pain, distrust, fear, and can even lead us as wives to question God.  Join me in praying for awareness, conviction, and action against sin that causes us to lower our shield and let the enemy in. Praying with you in your husband's fight against sin, humbly recognizing that it was yours and mine that also held Jesus on the cross.  Praying with you, Ashley

We live in a world where the enemy roams seeking to steal, kill, and destroy. The ways of the enemy can be so subtle to tempt us to look away from Jesus and keep us focused on anything else. Today, we're praying for the temptations of your husband, that he may be so in tune with the Holy Spirit that he is able to wake daily with the preparation to fight off each temptation. Praying with you, Ashley

Arguably one of the most requested prayer requests during registration for prayer challenges. Christian woman hope for their husband to lead them and their family well. Leading can include a wide variety of action steps, which is maybe why it's such a complicated topic between husbands and wives. No doubt, it requires constant communication, both with each other and with the Lord. Our world certainly complicates the concept of Biblical leadership with loud voices shouting to us about how we SHOULD be as husbands and wives. Today, we're praying to have hearts and minds ready to dive into scripture and hear from our Lord about what this should look like in our marriages.  Praying with you, Ashley If you like this episode, please head over and leave a review so other people can find this podcast! 

Ministry and church can be a challenging area within a marriage, leaving a wake of emotions for some. The sad truth is that some people serve from a place of pride instead of serving out of the overflow of their love for Christ and his church. Today we're praying for our husbands and the heart behind their ministry, or lack there of. I'm praying you can pray this pray from a place of submission to Christ and remembering His faithfulness in your life, including your marriage. Praying with you, Ashley

Today we're praying for your husband to grow in his relationship with the Lord. Arguably, much of the whole challenge flows from this prayer. Today we're praying for our husbands to pursue Christ as the utmost first priority.  I encourage you to also pursue your own relationship with Christ independent of what your husband may or may not be doing in this area. Open your Bible, join a Bible study, listen to a sermon, keep a prayer journal or many of the other ways to engage in your relationship with the Lord and RUN after Him. May our husbands see our hearts and be encouraged to run even harder after their spiritual growth.  If you enjoy this episode, would you share it with a friend or on social media? Thank you for being here!

We have been praying for our husbands for ONE WEEK! Keep the momentum going, meeting with your Heavenly Father on behalf of your partner.  Today we're praying for your husband's physical health which can be full of frustration, worry, and difficult conversations.  Today we're praying that the Lord would work through your husband's physical health, the body God gave him, to bring Him glory whether that's through healing, testimony, accountability and community, and/or any other means He wills.  Praying with you,  Ashley If you're enjoying this podcast, would you please share it with another friend and invite them to participate with you? Thank you for being here! 

Whether you're asking God to help your husband find a new job, or trusting the Lord through the situation involving his current job, I know this can be a very emotionally taxing topic within a marriage.  Work can demand a lot of our husbands and put a lot of pressure on a marriage. Today we're praying for God to do a work only He can do for our husbands and their work. Praying with you, Ashley

I believe Christian marriages are under attack. God's word says the enemy seeks to steal, kill, and destroy and all around me I see marriages crumbling - either hanging on through desperation or having papers drafted to end a marriage. Sources say that divorce rates among Christian marriages is near the national average of 39%, however, when a couple prays together daily, the divorce rate drops to less than 1%.  Our marriages are worth fighting for and I pray today's prayer encourages you.

Every year, our pastor has the student seniors on stage and tells them "Show me your friends and I'll show you your future".  Our friendships have the power to steer our lives towards Christ or away from him. Today, we're praying for life giving friendships for our husbands. We're praying for friendship where iron that sharpens iron, both outside and within our marriage. If this is a tender area in your marriage, keep praying.  Rekindling your friendship is possible! Praying with you,  Ashley If you enjoyed this episode, would you leave a review so more wives can find this podcast? Feel free to share this episode with a friend as well. Then, head over to IG for more support and encouragement @husbandprayerchallenge

On some level, we all long for more peace. Our world and its distractions make us hope for the day when Jesus comes and sets all things right. Today we're praying for our husbands to know peace, not just to experience it once in a while but to be deeply acquainted with the one who is peace.  Praying with you,  Ashley After you tune in, make sure you head over to @husbandprayerchallenge on IG for more support and encouragement!

We live in a world where being a "Christian" can mean a lot of different things.  Today we pray for your husband's integrity and that he would be a man of strong moral and Biblical convictions.  Remember our focus with fasting this season, to not be complaining but instead considering what you can be thankful to God about regarding your husband. Do you notice when your husband is honest, seeks to be held accountable, is humble, shows compassion, demonstrates reliability, acts fairly, seeks justice, or speaks out for the oppressed? Take time to consider how your husband demonstrates integrity, and thank the Lord.  Take it one step further, and let your husband know you notice and are thankful God created him with that quality.  If you liked this episode, please leave a positive review and/or share it with a wife who may need the encouragement to pray for her husband!  Don't forget to head over to @husbandprayerchallenge on IG for more support and encouragement! Praying with you, Ashley

Today we're praying for your husbands rest.  I know so many of you will scoff and throw up your hands at this and think to yourself, "I don't want to pray for his rest". These prayers are in no particular order and I've kept them that way because so often they hit exactly what we need to hear when we need to hear it.   If you bristle at the idea of praying for your husbands rest, can I encourage you?  As someone who struggles to fight the productivity monster every day, I had to look inward and see why I was so angry when my husband rested.  I realized this was a me issue. I had to learn that choosing to not rest wasn't a free pass to be angry at him for choosing rest.  While that may not be the situation for you, I hope you can join me in praying for your husbands rest today. If you appreciated this episode, would you please leave a positive review so we can help other wives find the prayers! Make sure you follow along @husbandprayerchallenge on IG for more daily encouragement!  

Welcome to Season 8 of the Husband Prayer Challenge This is still a basic and stripped down podcast, nothing fancy.  I'm just a wife praying for her husband and asking other women to join me for accountability!  Here's what's new this season: 40 Days of Prayer instead of 30: the extra 10 days are inspired by prayer requests sent in by wives of season 8 Prayer and Fasting: we're choosing to fast from complaining about our husbands Replace complaining with thanksgiving: build an altar of thanksgiving to the Lord for your husband Smaller community groups participating in text groups If you appreciate this podast, please share it with another wife that you think might be encouraged by these prayers! It would also be so helpful if you left a review if you enjoyed this podcast.  Reviews are how these podcasts get shown to other women who may be looking for this type of encouragement! Head on over to @husbandprayerchallenge on IG for more encouragement!

The most important relationship for your husband is here.  Everything in his life should be overflow from his relationship with the Lord.  We know there are countless distractions to keep our husbands from pursuing his relationship with God.  Today we are the persistent widow from scripture that keeps asking. Let us remember, when circumstances feel desperate and it feels hopeless, we can ALWAYS pray.  Praying with you, Ashley

Family, can be such a sensitive topic depending on the person.  Today, we're praying for our husband and his immediate family which includes you, his wife.  It also includes your children.  However, there is also his extended family for which those people (mother, father, brothers, sisters, etc) may have been a part of his life for much longer than you so far, for better or worse.  Today we're praying for your husband's family.

A challenging task for each of us, especially if we're not focused on Christ the moment we start our day.  Keeping our priorities in their proper order is full of temptations and opportunities to get distracted, one of the enemy's main tactics. Today we're praying for our husband to be able to use wisdom and discernment and daily reorient to keep his priorities in check.  

We have the opportunity to use the story of our life to point others to Christ.  Today we're praying for our husband's story, that he would have the boldness and wisdom to clearly articulate his testimony, and for divine appointments to do so.  

The modern church can be a sensitive subject for outsiders as well as those within the church.  As Christ followers, we have the opportunity to serve and spread the gospel with our unique gifts and talents. As wives, we can pray for our husbands to hear from the Lord as to what their gifts and talents are and how they can serve the church with a humble heart. 

Purity of heart and mind, Lord would you do a work that only you can do.  While this may be an uncomfortable topic to discuss or pray about, we have the opportunity as helpmates to come alongside our husbands an go to battle every day as a prayer warrior on his behalf.  May we storm the gates of heaven on his behalf and let satan know that his heart, mind, and eyes are not available. 

Prayer, one of the most powerful tools we can weild as believers in Christ.  Prayer is a constant conversation with the creator of the Universe, our Heavenly Father.  What a joy and priviledge to come before Him.  May we be reminded to not solely talk at God, but sit in the quiet and listen for what He has to say in response. Today we pray for our husband's prayer life. 

Surrendering a life to God is not giving up, rather surrender is a calculated decision to begin living life to the full as God intended. The Bible says, whoever loses his life for the sake of Christ, will find his life. (Matthew 16: 25) Today we pray for our husbands to surrender everything at the foot of the cross and allow God to take full control of every area. May we as wives challenge, notice, and encourage moments of surrender. 

We all carry baggage into a marriage.  Our husbands may have deep wounds that they may or may not readily share during the dating and courting phase of marriage.  Even if they are disclosed, past hurts can leave scars that affect our marriage relationship. We as wives can pray for complete healing for our husbands and a deeper understanding of God's love and grace for them in the process. 

We as wives long to be deeply loved by the person we've chosen to do our entire lives with. Whether we say it or not, our husband's love means so much because it's representative of how Christ loves the church. Today we pray for the love our husbands have for us, that it would grow and deepen and look more like the love of Christ with each passing day. 

Easily within the top 5 reasons that couples seek divorce is disagreement over how finances are handled.  The enemy uses this area to cause division and create stress and chaos.  We as wives have the power, by the blood of Christ, to pray for peace, unity, and victory for our husbands with his mindset around money.  Let's pray!

Our tongues hold the power of life and death.  May we take serious our charge to tame our tongues so that others might see and know the God we serve. Today we pray for the words that come from our husbands mouths, may the outflow reveal our hearts and if necessary may God carve out any sin regarding our speech. 

May we be known by our fruit, and may others want to know Jesus because of the pleasant aroma of it. Today we're praying that our husbands will be so connected to the vine that the fruit they produce points directly to Christ.  

Today we pray for our husbands to diligently put on the armor to protect their entire self. We as wives can encourage and support this by not only praying for our husbands, but by being a help as the gatekeeper for what comes into our homes. Today we pray our husbands take up the whole armor of God in order to be able to stand firm on a solid foundation. 

May our husbands long for time with the Lord.  Time spent in prayer, listening, and studying God's word with fervent intensity.  May our husbands draw from this time as if their lives depended on it.  May we as wives to encourage but not nag for this to happen remembering that it's a heart desire for the Lord not just checking a box to make us happy.